Resident jumps out of second story window to escape Flint apartment building fire hindered by frozen cap on fire hydrant

FLINT, MI – Several people were displaced after an apartment building was
destroyed Wednesday morning at Atherton East apartments.

Watch fully-engulfed Atherton East apartment building in Flint burn from many anglesSeveral people were displaced after an apartment building was destroyed Wednesday morning at Atherton East apartments. Everyone got out, but one person had to jump from a second story window and a woman was taken to the hospital for minor smoke inhalation, said Battalion Chief Ray Barton. The building had three or four apartments inside.

Everyone got out, but one man had to jump from a second story window hurting his arm and
a woman was taken to the hospital for minor smoke inhalation, said Battalion
Chief Ray Barton.

Flint Fire Chief David Cox Jr. said a third person also was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

Tonya Williams, 35, lives in the building behind where the fire was.

"The fireman knocked on our door and told us to get up and evacuate the premises," she said. "We just gathered our stuff up and got out. It was scary. (I saw) fire. That's all I seen was fire."

Barton said firefighters are still trying to determine how many people were
affected. The American Red Cross has been called to help out those displaced.

Crews received the call about 5:15 a.m. at the apartment complex also known
as the Terrace apartments. Barton said the cap on the fire hydrant was frozen shut so
crews had to use a fire hydrant a few hundred feet away.

The building was fully engulfed.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Arson investigators were called to the scene, Cox said. Investigators will begin to probe the scene once the fire is out.